Clock-controlled lighting circuits



Dec. 1'9, 1922. 1,439,523

1. F. KROST ET Al..

CLOCK CONTROLLED LIGHTING CIRCUHS.

mio wn' v22. 1920. y z sains-snif] =A M of@ Dec. 19, 1922. 1,439,523

1. F. KRosT U AL.

CLCK CONTROLLED UGH/UNG CIRCUITS.

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Patented Dec. 19, 1922.

UNITED STATES A 1,439,523 PATENT ori-ice J DEN FREDBICK- KROSTAAND VERNON J. STEFFEY, 0F MANKATO, MINNESOTA.

CLGCK-CONTB-OLLED CIRCUITS.

Continuation of application Serial No. 342,751, led December 5, 1919. This iapplication tiled July 22,

1920. Serial No. 398,199.

l'o all whom, it may concern.' V

Be it known that we, JOHN Flammen Kaos'r and 'VERNON '.l. STEFFEY, citizens of the United States, residin at Mankato, in the county of Blue Eart and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements .in Clock-Controlled Lighting `ircuits; and we do hereby de clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such -as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

From a broad )oint of view, .our inven tion has for its, o ject to-.provide improved switch mechanism for controlling electric circuits, and to vs uch ends, generali?v stated, the invention consists of' the nove devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

The circuit controlled by the switch may, for example, be an electriclight circuit of a street or house, or circuit controlling ovens, motors. or the like, but may, as indicated, be any kind of an electric circuit. and especially one that requires to be automatically turned on and ott at predetermined times.

The improved switch mechanism may be controlled in various different ways. as, for example, b v a clock, a thermostat, ora pressure gage. depending on the nature of the use to which the circuit and switch mechanism are applied.

Much of the novelty of this invention. however, is directed to the manner in which the switch mechanism is' connected to and controlled by clock mechanism and to switch mechanism which isl arranged to control commercial light circuits; and in the drawings which illustrate thisrlatter noted application, the arrangement, generally stated, vis as follows:

The main line switch in the lighting cir cuit is arranged to be operated and closed :it-predetermined times, byan electro-inagnetic switch operating device comprising two magnets; and for alternately energizing these magnets to effect the automatic action stated. we provide. in .suitable shunts or local circuits, a magnet reversing switch operated by or timed to move with the movable member of the main line switch. a clock- `actuating magnetic .selecting switch con-- nected in' opposite sides to thetwo magnets through the magnet reversing switch. and a secondary clock actuated switch in the electrical' connection of one 0f the said magnets. The magnetic'selecting switch is operated by a clock driven element,preferably in the form of-a cam or segmental wheel driven from or with the hour hand of the clock, and the secondary line switch is operated b a clock driven element preferably througl c ertain of the elements that constitute part of the 'alarm mechanism of the clock.

Obviously, when the alarm mechanism of any standard alarm clock is adjustable in 'respect to the hands of the clock, the above noted arrangement affords simple means for adjustably setting the timeof action of the secondary line switch in respect to the hands of the clock and in respect to the time of action of the so-called -magnetic selecting switch. This application is a conf tinuation of the co-pendinv application of applicants tiled December otlnllflltl, S. 342,751.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated 4an embodiment .of our invention uctuallyput into commercial use and found highly etlicient for the purposes had in view. In the said drawings, like characters indicate like. parts throughout the several views. Referringto the drawings:

'Fig'. 1 is a view showing only the face of the clock;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in diagram and. partly in section illustrating the relative arrangement of the circuit connections and switches Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section showing parts of the clock mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2:

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of parts of the alarm 'mechanism which. act upon the sccondary line switch:

Fig. 6 Ais a front elevation of the clock with some. parts broken away and showing the inner mechanism and certain of the 100 switches;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the main line switch and the magnets for operating the same;

Fig.y 8 is a view partly in elevation and 105 partly 1n section on the line 8-8 of Fig.

section on sirable for the purposes of this case to note as follows: Y i

The numeral 10 indicates the case, 11 the dial, 12 the minute hand, 13 the hour hand, and 14 the alarm indicator hand. The numeral 15 indicates a spur pinion carried by the spindle 15 of the hour hand of the clock and meshing with a ar 16 that is slidably mounted on a spin le 17, and on one face is provided with a cam hub 18 with a single notch, and on its other face is pro-r vided with a conical hub 19. The spindle.

17, at its front end, carries a ear 20 and a cam pin 21 (see particularly igs. 3 and 5). Gear 20 meshes with pinion 22that is connected tothe sleeve of the alarml indicating hand 14 and operates the same in a well known manner. In fact the mechanism so far described, is ordinary alarm4 clock structure, in which, by rotation of spindle 17, cam pin 21 may be set so that the notch of hub 18 will e same and permit gear 16un er the action of its spring 23, to move toward the left in respect to Fig. 3. This movement of gear 16 toward the left vin this arrangement, instead of operating the alarm device, is utilized to operate the so-called secndary line switch, as will hereinafter appear.

In this arrangement, to operate the ,se lecting switch, a segmental cam 24 (see particularly Figs. 2, 3 and 6) is ap'plied to the` sleeve of the hour hand 12 so that it rotates with the hour hand, and hence, makes one complete rotation every twelve hours. This cam 24 may be given any desired circumnects the .contact finger 29 of primary mag .net selecting switch to the main line lead fr.,

ferential extent, but as shown, it has about 190 degree extent. As shown, cam 24 o erates on the long end of a spring me U- shaped arm 26, the short arm of which is rigidly secured to an anchoring bracket 27 applied to one of the bearing plates 28 of the clock. Insulated from but secured to the long and relatively movable prong of the spring arm 26 is a contact finger 29 that has two contact points 29a and 29" and se` cured to a fixed prong of the arm 26 but insulated therefrom and from each other, are two relatively fixed Contact fingers 30 and 31. The elements just described constitute what is herein designated as the primary magnet selecting switch.

The switch herein designated as the line selecting switch comprises a fixed contact 32 and a movable contact 33. Fixedcontact 32 is insulated from, but secured to bearing plate 28'. Movable contact 33 is insulated from but secured to thel free end of a lever 34 (best shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, but also shown in Figs. 3 and 9). Lever 34 is pivotcd to bearing plate 28 at 34', its vihratory movement is limited by a Slot and screw connection 35. andesaid lever is yieldiugly drawn upward by a coiled s ring 36 anchored to said plate 28. Norma ly` how ge with the lating base c.

ever, cam pin 21 on spil. dlc 17, acting on the lmain surface Iof hub 18, will hold cone hub 19 toward the right, in respect to Figs. 3

tory or store circuit, is indicated at 37 (see Fi s. 2 and 7).

he main switch, among other things, as here illustrated, comprises two laterally spaced relatively fixed spring contacts 39 and two co-operating movable contacts 4()a and 4Q". Contacts 39 are supported from an insulating base c, and each is electrically connected to one ofthe leads of the local circuit 37.Q The main line leads4 a and b are connected, respectively, to the movable con tacts 40l and 40". Said two contacts 40 and 40" are both carried by an insulating head 4U, whichin turn, is carriedI by a plunger 41 that is preferably of copper or other nommagnetlc`- metal, and at lts outer end is provided with a magnetic solenoid core 42 that works freely in a sleeve 42 supported by brackets 42" on base c. Fixed on the sleeve 42 are two electro-magnetic coils 43 and 44 ary ranged, axially, one ahead of the other. A switch which is herein designated .as the ,Secondary magnetic selecting switch, comprises two fixed contacts 45 and 46 and a movable cntact'hlade 47, which latter is carried by the plunger.

The numeral 50 indicates a wire that conthrough a metallic bracket 4'8 on the insu- The numeral 51 indicates a wire that connects the- Contact 30 of the primary magnet selectingr switch to the movable contact 33 of the line selecting switch. The numeral 52 indicates a wire that connects the. fixed contact 32 of the line selecting switch to one terminal of the coil 43. The other terminal of 'thel coil 43 is connected by a Wire 53 to the contact 46 of thc secondary magnet selecting switch. The numeral 54 indicates a wire that connects the contact 31 of the primary magnet select ing switch with one terminal of the coil 44. and the numeral 55 indicates a wire that connects the other terminal of said -coil 44 to contact 45 of said secondary magnet'sc lecting switchi The numeral 5G indicates' a wire that connects the blade 47 of. the sec` ondary magnet selecting switch to one of the contacts 39 of the main line switch. 'l

cuit through normally stands in its inoperative position' shown in Fig. 9, but when pressed toward the left, it will engage the lever 34 and hold the same in its inoperative position shown in Fig. 2; and to hold said plungerv in its said operative position, a clip 58 is pivoted to the plate 28a of the clock and adapted t0 be moved over end of said plunger.l

pemtz'on. v

The operation of the device describedl is substantially, as follows:

In the arrangemenfillnsti-ated, cam 24 is-V set so that it will come into engagement with the long plunger of spring arm 26. at about oclo'ckpand will run out of engagement gherewith at about 10:00 oclock, and during such interval, said cam, acting on said arm, will hold contact point 29 `of finger 29 eng' gaged with`contact finger' 30, therebycloslng thefeircuit to magnet coil 43 atthat point, but it' will he noted isstill broken between contacts 32 and 33 of the line selecting switch. At this time, circuit through magnet coils 44 is broken by separation of contact point 29j tact 31, so that the plunger 41 of main line switch will then be as shown in Fig. 2 and main line circuit will be open between con` tacts 39. If we assume that alarm indicating hand 14 is set at 7 oclock` as shown in Fig. 1, then at 7 oclok` the single notch of hub 18 of Ygear 1G will come into line with relatively fixed but adjustable 'cam pin 21, and spring 23 will then torce. gear 16 toward the left, carrying with it cone hub 19, and4 this will permit spring 36, acting on arm 34, to mo,ve contact 33 into engagement with contact 32, thereby completing the cirthe magnet coil 43. When it will, acting on core 41, move plunger41 between main line contacts 39, and thereby close the main line circuit through local circuit 37, and turn on the lights or perform any other operation accomplished by closing of the main line circuit.

A few minutes of movement of the hour hand, and hence, of the gear 18 will cause thel notch'of hub 18`to cam gear 16 again to thc right,'thereby causing cone hub 19 to again force contact 33 away from contact 32, tllus breaking the circuit through magnet coil 43, but leaving thc plunger 4l `engaged with contacts 32) and hence, the main line circuit closed.

magnet 4coil 43 is energized.

However. the breaking of the circuits through coil 43 docs not wait for the above notcd separation pf the contacts 33 from 32 because contact blade 47, b v the filial part of thc movement of the plunger 4l into engagcment with contacts 39, will move said blaile out of cngagenicnt with contact lb. thcrcb \r instantlvlneaking thc circuit the inwardly pressed outer- .witlt long prong plunger 41 back to that this circuitY 4still beope'n vfrom co'n-A through magnet coil 43. This same movcment of the plunger 41 brings blade 4T into engagement with contact 45 of secondary magnet selecting switch, thereby closing the circuit through the coil 44 at that point, but the circuit through said coil 44 is still broken between contacts 31 and 29h, so that said J'nagnet does not yet operate to retract the plunger 41. However, at about 10 o`clock, cam 24 will run ont of engagement of spring arm 26 and said prong- .will then spring back to normal position, thereby carrying contact 29" into engagement with contact 31, thus completing the circuit through magnet 44, and the latter being energized, will quickly remove its normal position shown in Fig. 2. This return of plunger 41 to normal position quickly breaks the circuit through magnet coil 44 between contac'ts 45 and 47 and said contact 4i', by reengaging contact 46 again closes the circuit-at that point through coil 43, but the circuit throu h Said magnet coil 43 wlll tween contacts 32 and 33 of the line selecting switch,

If 'pinion 15 and gear '16 are to be made of the samediameter, then the abovt` noted opening and closing periods and resulting opening and closing o the main line switch will take place during each twelve hours, but it .is desirable `for most purposes that the opening and closing of the main switch take place only during p. m` hours. that is, during the evening and before midnight. and to provide for this, we simply makc the gear 16 of twice the diameter of pinion 1.3

so that'the pinion 1G and itsnotched hub 1H will be given a complete rotation only once for each t.wenty-four hours and then when th'e notch of hub 18 will come into engage ment with cam. pin 2l between noon and midnight, thereby operating the secondary line switch only during that interval. (lbviously, during the twelve hours bctwccu midnight and noon` cam 24 will operate the line selecting switch wliilc thc plunger -l-li is in position shown in Fig. 2. but this will not energize magnet 43 because the circuit will then-he broken betwccn contact 32 and 33 of line Selecting switch and will not enerizc magnet 44 because its circuit is thcn roken between contacts 45 and 4T.

lt hasl already been noted that the timing of line .selecting Switch ma)r be varied in respect to, the timing of the magnet selecting switch- By the simple expedient of shifting the handsl of the clock in respect to their driving gears, the timing of cam 2l may also be varied in point of timc of operation. It can, of course.Y bc understood that the hands of the clock. after being lshifted. would be set for the propel' time indication.

lt will be notcd that in the above dc scribed arrangement. thc main linc is closed iou through the local circuit 37 by (3o-operating contacts located on each side of the line and that when the main switch is open, the local circuit will be broken on both sides. clock-controlled means for operating the switch mechanism involves very considerable novelty, but, as already indicated, from a broad point of view, the novel switch mechanism herein disclosed may be controlled by an automatic means or even by hand control ed switch operated at will. This switch mechanism will be found highly desirable for use very generally for turning electric circuits on and off, either automatically or by manual control from a distant oint.

What we claim is:

1. An electrical device having in combination one source of current. a main line circuit connected to said source, a local circuit, a main line switch for energizing said local circuit from said source, a pair of electro magnets for moving said main switch in opposite directions, said main line circuit having branches, each controlling one of said magnets, time controlled elements in said branches of said main line circuit to control the same to alternately and periodically operate said magnets, and means for opening said branch circuits by movement of said main line switch.

2. The combination with a main line circuit and a main line switch, of an electromagnet actuator for said main line switch, a branch circuit including leads connected across the main line and including the electromagnetic actuator` and a magnet reversingr switch operated by the movable element of said main line switch having electrical connections for setting said actuator for reverse actions in alternate order, said connections of said magnet reversing switch being included in said branch circuit.

3. The combination with a. main line circuit and a local circuit, of a main line switch for connecting said local circuit in said main line, a magnetic actuator comprising a pair of magnets for said main line switch, said main line circuit having a branch including a circuit maker and breaker and a magnet reversingY switch operated by the movable element of said main line switch and having electrical connections for alternately cutting the magnet of said actuator out of action after the movable element of said main line switch has been given operative movement in one direction or the other.

4. The combination with a main line ci' cuit and an automatic controller of amain line switch for openingr and closing said main line circuit. a two-magnet actuator for said main line switch, primary and secondary selecting switches operative by said automatic controller, one after the other, and connected across4 the main line the said secondary T he switch being interposta .u the electrical con neet-ion between oneside of said primary' selecting switch and said actuator magnets.

5. The combination with a main line circuit and an automat-ic controller, of a main line switch oropening and closing said main line circuit, an electro-magneticy actuator for said main line switch, primary and secondary selecting switches operated by said automatic controller andv connected with said actuator in series in a shunt circuitacross the main line, and a magnet reversing switch operated by the movable element of said main line switch and having electrical connections for reversing the' action of the magnets of said switch actuator.

6. Thel combination with a main line circuit and an automaticeontroller, of a main line switch for opening and closing said main line circuit, a two-magnet actuator for said main lineswitch, primary and secondary selecting switchesoperative by said autof matic controller, one after the other, and in series with said actuator in a shunt circuit connect/ed across the main line the said secondary switch being interposed in the electrical connection between one side of said primary selecting switch andsaid actuator magnets, and a magnet reversing switch operated by the movable element of said mainline switch and having ,electrical connections for reversing the action of the magnets of said switch actua/tor.

` 7. The' combinationwith a main linel circuit and an automatic controller, of a main line-switch for openin and closing said main line circuit, an eectro-magnetic actuator for said main line switch, a controller -actuated primary selecting switch, a'controller actuated secondary selecting switch` said switches and electromagnetic actuating devices being connected in a circuit across the main line and said Secondary' switch being interposed in the electrical connection between one side of said primary selecting switch and saidlectromagnetic switch actuating device, and adjustable means for varying the times of action of said primary and secondary selecting switches.

8. The combination with a line circuit and a clock, oa main switch for. opening and closing said line circuit, an eleot'romagnet actuator for said main switch, 'a clock controlled circuit across the main line include ing the electromagnet actuator, a'nd a magnet reversing switch actuated by movement of said main switch.

9. The combination with a line circuit and a clock, of a main switch for openiug and closing said line circuit` a two-magnet actuator for said main switclrya magnet circuit breaker and reversingIr switch. a clock controlled shunt circuit across the line having one part includimcr one magnet of the two magnet actuator and one pole of the magnet reversing switch and another part including the other magnet of the two-magnet, actuator and the other pole lof the magnet reversing switch.

10. The ,structure set forth in claim 9, the first part of said circuit having a primary clockcontrolled switch, and a secondary clock controlled switch therein. i

11. The structure set forth in claim t), said cirjcuit including a clockrcontrolled switch having two sets of contacts, one set adapted to close one part of said circuit and the other set adapted to close the other part of said circuit.

l2. The combinationV with a line circuit and a main switch for opening and closing said line circuit, a solenoid for closing the switch, a solenoid for opening the switch, a circuit including a time-controlled primary switch, a time controlled secondary switch and a circuit breaker and solenoid reversing switch,.said rimary switch' and said secondary switch) being adapted to close the circuit through one solenoid.

13. The structure set forth in claim 12, said primary switch having two sets of contacts, one set coloperating with said secondary switch to close said circuit through one solenoid and the other cooperating with the circuit breaking and solenoid reversing s witch to close the circuit through the otherv solenoid.

14. The combination with a line circuit and a clock, of a main switch for opening and closing said line circuit, an electromagnetic actuator for said main switch, a clockactuated selecting switch, a ,clock-actuated secondary line switch, said switches and electro-magnetic actuating devices being connected in seriesacross the main line and said secondary switch being interposed in the'electrical connection between one side of said selecting switch and the said electromagnetic switch actuating device, the mechanism of said clock including an adjustable cam pin, a laterally movable spring pressed gear equipped on one side with a hub havmg a single notch for engagement with said cam pin, and said gear, on its other side having a cone that directly operates said secondary line switch.

15. The combination with a line circuit and a clock, of a main switch for opening and closing said line circuit, an electro-ma netic actuator for said main switch, a eloc actuated selecting switch, a clock-actuated secondary line switch. said switches and electro-magnetic actuating devices being oonnected in series across the main line and said secondary switch being interposed in the electrical connection between one side of said selecting;r switch and the said electromagnetic switch actuating device, and means adjustable to vary the time of action of said secondary switch.

16. The combination with a line circuit and a clock, of a main line switch including fixed space contacts and o o-operating movable plunger, an armature connected to said plunger,jelectromagnets having reverse actions on said armature, a magnet reversing switch including fiiied spaced contacts and a co-operating contact blade moved by said plunger alternately into enmigement there with, a Vmagnet selecting switch including, insulated spaced fixed contacts and a m'ovable contact arm having contact points alternatelyenvageable with said latter fixed contacts, a clock actuated cam operative on the movable arm of said selecting switch, a seoondar line switch including a fixed and a movab e contact, clock actuated means for opening and lclosing said secondary line switch, a wire connecting one side of said line circuit to the two contact points ofthe movable arm of said selecting switch, a wire connecting one of the movable contas of said selecting switch to one of said switch actuating magnets, a wire connectingthe other side of saidv latter noted magnet to one of the fixed contacts of said reversing switch, a wire connecting the other fixed contact of said selecting switch to one of the contacts of said secondary switch, a wire connecting the other contact of said secondary switch to the other of said electromagnets, a wire connecting the other side of this latter noted magnet to the other fixed contact of said reversing switch, and an electrical connection between the movable blade of said magnet reversing switch and one side of said line circuit.

17. The combination with a line circuit and a clock, of a main line switch for said line circuit, including a movable contact, reversely-acting electro-magnets operative to r move the movable member of said main switch to and from circuit closing iosition, a magnet reversing switch operated by the movable member of said main switch and including fixed contacts connected, one to each of said magnets, and a movable contact connected to one side of the main line, a. clock actuated secondary line switch, and a clock-actuated magnet selecting switch, said latter switch including insulated fixed contacts connected, one to one of said magnets and the other to one of the contacts of said secondary switch, the other contact of said secondary switch being connected to the other. electro-magnet, said selecting switch including also a movable .contact alternatelyv llo a magnet reversing switch operated by the movable member of said main switch and includingr fixed contacts connected, one to each of said magnets, and a movable contact connected to one side of the main line, a clock actuated seconda'ry line swifh, and a uloclnactuated magnet selecting switch, said latter Switch including insulated fixed contacts Connected, one to one of said magnets and the other to one of the contacts of said secondary switoh, the other Contact of said secondary switch being connected to the other electro-magnet, said selecting switch including also a movable Contact alternately engageable with said fixed contacts, and itself connected to one side of the main'line, and means for varying the time of :lotion of said secondary switch in respect to the time of action of said Selecting switch. l

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two Witnesses.

JoHN FREDRICK KRosT. VERNON J. STEFFEY.

Witnesses:

J. R. JEWBEN, H. L. JEwsEN. 

